Chevrolet tested its 2025 Blazer EV in vomit-inducing way

In February, the new 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS served as the pace car for the 67^th Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. Notably, the Blazer represented the first EV to pace the race, and the 16th time Chevrolet has held the honor.

Chevy has sold over four million SS-badged vehicles since 1961, and the Blazer EV SS is the quickest SS model the brand has ever produced. That’s saying something, considering the Super Sport treatment largely established Chevy as an American performance brand. The newest SS in the stable is even quicker than the 2024 Camaro SS, a favorite of the muscle car set. 

Stomach-lurching speed on tap

Chevrolet Blazer EV chief engineer Marisa Cullens says the Blazer EV SS was put to the test for more than 10,000 hours and 225,000 hours on dynos (dynamometers, which measure power, torque, and force). The team punished the Blazer EV in northern Michigan, southern Arizona, and snowy Colorado. 

They also wrung it out on the curvy 32-mile Back of the Dragon route in North Carolina to check the ride. Getting the ride right required a fine balance to make it both responsive and sporty, but also not too stiff, Cullen says. It can’t be too stiff on a daily basis; drivers want to be able to drink their coffee on the way to work and not have it spill all over the place. All that goes out the window in launch mode. Chevy’s engineers say they ran launch control exercises over and over to the point that those with a sensitive stomach might have trouble keeping their guts in check after so many speed runs. 

After trying it out myself at the Ten Tenths Motor Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, I can definitely see how that could happen. Put the car in launch mode, and your head snaps back as it takes off at blazing speed. Engaging Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode unlocks more power and torque, boosting the numbers from 515 hp and 450 pound-feet, respectively, to an impressive 615 hp and 650 pound-feet. 

With WOW mode activated, the Blazer EV SS can reach 60 mph from a full stop in 3.4 seconds. Compare that to the Lucid Motors Air Sapphire, which burns up the pavement for a 0-60 mph time of 1.89 seconds. However, the cost is significantly different: $250,000 for the Lucid versus $62,490 for the Blazer EV SS with the performance package.

The Chevy is a sleeper: a car that looks mild-mannered but vibrates with excitement when unleashed. And interestingly, Chevy is using the same motor as it does in the lower-trim versions of the Blazer EV (even the police cruiser version), but the software and hardware are tuned for performance.

“WOW mode itself allows more motor torque, and launch control allows the motors to get as much torque as possible without damage,” explains lead engineer Bret Dick after my track run. “It’s also about balance. So you noticed how fast you were going, and you didn’t even spin the wheels. If you were to do that in some cars, the wheels would be spinning and they’d be chirping. We’ve worked to optimize the Blazer EV SS to the perfect torque to get the acceleration you need to take it as fast as it can go.”

It’s important to note, at this point, that the Blazer EV SS includes high-powered  stopping power with Brembo brakes in the rear and sliding calipers up front. It has 22-inch wheels wrapped in all-season tires, typically, but you can order the performance package for zippy summer tires. With typical driving patterns, the Blazer EV SS is good for 303 miles on a full charge. Expect to bleed some of that off using WOW mode. 

Chevrolet’s EV push

It’s kind of a big deal that the Blazer EV SS is powered by electric motors, not internal combustion.

“Say what you want about EVs, there’s some real opportunity there,” says Scott Bell, Chevy’s VP global Chevrolet. While Chevy still produces millions of internal combustion cars every year, the brand is ramping up its EV presence. Quite a bit, in fact.

The bow tie brand just had its best first quarter since 2019, partially spurred by 12 new launches in a short two years. That includes the upcoming Silverado EV Trail Boss, a lifted, off-road-capable truck, and the return of the Bolt EV to the lineup. And the SS version of the Blazer crossover adds an attractive element of speed to an otherwise typical EV.

Chevrolet has more all-electric vehicles in its near future. In February, the automaker unveiled its Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype; while it looks like the production version of the Blazer EV SS the EV.R amps up the power to 1300 hp with three six-phase motors. Imagine what it would be like to take that one to the grocery store.

 

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